Alicia Sacramone, 16, of Winchester, finished in 19th position of the Combined All-Around and third on Vault after the two rounds, of the Women's US Gymnastics Championships. Performance at this meet, in Nashville Tenn., is used determine the final qualifiers for the Olympic Trials, in Anaheim California. Announcements of those selected are forthcoming. Sacramone is the only Mass. resident currently competing at this level of gymnastics.

Starting on Balance Beam, she stuck both her mount and her double pike dismount and earned a 9.425. The next rotation was Floor, where a very strong and aggressive routine with a full-in, a back 2 1/2 punch front, a triple full and double pike earned a 9.60. On Vault, a huge front handspring and 1½ twist off showed her a consistent contender scoring a 9.40. On Bars, she stuck her double layout dismount, but earlier a fall hurt her strong routine and scoring to 7.25. In the days All-Around she scored a 35.625 and when combined with Thursday's Preliminaries totaled a 71.60 for 19th place. Alicia's greatest performance was on Vault, where the combined total of 18.925 finished her in third place, followed by Floor where an 18.475 put her in 12th place.
Sacramone, a member of the US National Team, is a high school sophomore, whose parents are Fred Sacramone, an orthodontist and Gail Sacramone, a styling salon owner. Alicia has represented our country in international competition in Brazil and recently, the Pacific Alliance meet where she placed first on Vault. She trains in Ashland under the tutelage of Mihai and Sylvia Brestyan, former Romanian National Team coaches.

Alicia Sacramone, 16, of Winchester, currently is in 20th in position in the All-Around scoring at the conclusion of the Preliminary Round of the two day Women's US Gymnastics Championships. Final performance at this meet, in Nashville Tenn., will determine the final qualifiers for the Olympic Trials held later this month in Anaheim Calif. Sacramone is the only Mass. resident currently competing at this level of gymnastics.
Her first rotation was Uneven Bars where she scored a 8.925 with the following elements, toe on/off full, shootover, blind full to Geinger, double layout and stuck the landing. In the next event, Balance Beam, a fall from a switch side leap lowered the score of an otherwise awesome routine to an 8.550. On Floor Exercise, a triple full and a stuck double pike finish earned a 8.875. Lastly, in her premier event Vault, a front hand spring front pike with 1 1/2 twist left her in good standing for tomorrows finals with a 9.525 and a 35.925 All-Around total. The meet will air this weekend on local NBC affiliates.
Sacramone, a member of the US National Team, has represented our country in international competition in Brazil, and most recently, the Pacific Alliance meet where she placed first on Vault. She trains in Ashland under the tutelage of Mihai and Sylvia Brestyan, former Romanian National Team coaches.

May 16, Marston Mills MA

The girls from Brestyan's American Gymnastics, of Ashland, followed through with predictions taking both Level 6 and Level 5 State competitions. Notable performances were given by several of the girls whose scoring has raised bar for local competition. In Level 6 Taliana Snell, of Framingham, Katja Pidel, of No Kingstown RI, and Briana Dwyer, of Franklin, were standouts, Chloe Herczeg, of Southborough, was a winner with the Level 5s.

This was Taliana Snell's fourth consecutive win at State Championships and lead all with a 38.25 All-Around total after taking firsts on Vault, 9.70, Bars, 9.40, and Floor with a 9.75. Carolyn Ragon, of Melrose, also competing with Snell in the age 7-9 group, took a first on Beam with a 9.50, and thirds on Bars, 9.325 and in the All-Around with a 37.375. From Holliston, Julohn Teixeira placed second on Bars, 9.425, and Beam, 9.475 and finished fourth with a 37.35 total. Casey Bennett, of Ashland, placed second on Vault with a 9.325 and finished fifth with a combined 37.20 score, while Samantha O'Toole, of Medway

took third on Floor and sixth in the All-Around with a 37.125. In the 10 year old division, Briana Dwyer, was victorious in three events, Vault with a 9.50, Bars, 9.65, Floor 9.70, and in the All-Around with a 38.00 total. Cassandra Thibault, from Bellingham, placed fourth on Floor, 9.525, and fifth in the All-Around with a 36.825. Rebecca Mespelli, of Ashland, took sixths on Vault with a 9.20, and Floor, 9.425. In the 11 year old group, Katja Pidel, won the Floor with a 9.575 and took seconds on Vault, 9.35 and Bars with a 9.65. Combined with a 9.30 on Beam, her 37.875 carried that division's All-Around. Lee, won the Vault with a 9.45 and placed third on Bars witha 9.475. Breanna Vacca took fourth on Beam with a 9.35. As for the twelve year olds, Chelsea Dwyer, from Franklin, earded a 9.525 on Beam and a 9.325 on Floor and finished second in the All-Around with a 37.025 total. Kayla Farley, of Hopkinton, finished in sixth in the All-around with a 36.225. With the 13 year olds, Ashley Justin, of N. Dighton, captured firsts on Beam, 9.35, and Floor, 9.50, took second on Vault with a 9.325 and won the All-Around with a 37.075. While with the 14 year olds, Moira Pryhoda took firsts on Bars, 9.225, Beam 8.90, Floor, 9.225 and in the All-Around with a 36.10 total.

In the Level 5, 7-8 year old age group, Melissa Mespelli, of Ashland, captured first on Floor with a 9.525, and seconds on the remaining events Vault, 9.20,Bars, 9.325, Beam 9.35 and in the All-Around 37.40. The 9 year old age group was lead by Chloe Herczeg, of Southborough, who took first on Vault, 9.55, tied for first on Bars with a 9.70, and placed first in the All-Around with a 38.175. Meanwhile, Olivia Privitera, of Framingham, lead Beam with a 9.70 score, took secondon Vault with a 9.45 and third on Bars, 9.55, and in the All-Around with a 37.925 total. Alexi Kidd, of South Natick shared the Bars title with a 9.70, and closely followed on Vault with a 9.375 and in the All-Around, taking fourth with a 37.425. In the ten year old group, Katie Kori, of Northborough, placed second on Bars and Beam with 9.55 scores and finished fourth with a 37.35 total. While with the 11 year olds, Nicole Chaput, of Holliston, placed second on Vault with a 9.275 and finished sixth in the All-Around with a 36.30.

Also of note is the general strength of the sport in Massachusetts as shown by strong participation with over 250 Level 5 and 190 Level 6 competitors and a corresponding increase in performance at the grass-root Compulsory Levels. Both groups posted higher scores across-the-board than ever before, which meant earning a top position required earning a 37 plus score. That is, no falls, no balks, no extra steps ....These girls learn to deal with pressure young.

To the Enfield CT local papers:

May 16, 2004

Jennifer Stack 15, of Enfield, participated in USA Gymnastics US Classic/Challenge, a major Elite meet held at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester NY, and a qualifier for the US Championships. Competing in the Challenge

division as a Senior Pre-Elite, she placed second in the All-Around with a 32.25 total. The three-day event finished with Sunday's Optional competition, where the athletes perform their most difficult skills in their personal routines. Jen's best event was Floor where she lead with a 8.20, while her best score was a 8.60 to the FIG (International) rules earning third in the Vault event. The All-Around competition was a weighted total including scores for Friday's Compulsory Routines and Saturday's Physical Ability Testing.

Jen trains with Brestyan's American Gymnastics, of Ashland MA, under the tutelage of Mihai Brestyan, a former Romanian National Team coach. She is a sophomore at Enfield High School with a 3.70/4.00 GPA, and plans to study Accounting in college.

May 8, 2004

Westborough MA

Finishing up a hot gymnastics season, Michelle Yerardi, of Dedham MA, and Brestyan's American Gymnastics has earned a new title, Regional Champion. This year competing as a Level 8 in the Junior 8-12 year age division, Michelle

earned her way to the top with first placements on Vault, 9.675, Beam, 9.650 and Floor, 9.575. She took sixth on Bars with a 9.225, but her overall score of 38.125 carried the All-Around. Last year Michelle swept Level 6 States with a 38.375, and has since taken almost everything in sight including the Niagra Cup, ILNY, Parkettes, Thompson's and the Brestyan's meet.

Sheridan Adley, of Lexington competing in the same group, took second on Vault with a 9.45, eighth on Floor with a 9.325 and finished fourteenth with a 36.35. Melynee Saya, scored a 9.025 on Vault and finished in eighteenth in the All-Around with a 35.825.These three Brestyan's girls were part of the Massachusetts State Team, which took second with a 185.80 score, and were defeated by rival New York who combined a 186.825 total.

Also competing was Cassy Izzo, of Cranston RI, who participated in the All-Star Division winning first place on the Beam with a 9.45, scored a 9.35 on Vault, 9.275 on both Bars and Floor, and captured the All-Around with her 37.35 total.

May 2, 2004

Orlando FL 

Five girls from Brestyan's American Gymnastics, of Ashland, competed at Level 9 and 10 USA Gymnastics, Junior Olympic National Championships. With the Senior C age group, of Level 10, Bridget Carreiro, of E. Freetown, lead the team with a fifth place finish on Beam with a 9.425 score. In the Senior A age division, Julie Sauchuk, from Peabody, scored 9.325 both on Vault and Floor, placing eighteenth in the Vault event. Stephanie Fay, from Coventry RI, earned a 9.275 on Floor. In the Junior B group, Katie Canning of Billerica,

also did well on Beam scoring a 9.500 and taking eleventh place in the event, and finishing 25th in the All-Around.

At the Level 9 Eastern Nationals, Zara Karuman, of Chestnut Hill, took a first place on Vault with a 9.20 score. She followed with a 9.25 on Bars for 11th and finished in seventeenth in the All-Around with a 36.35 total. Rachel Guida, of Cumberland RI, scored a 9.075 on Beam and finished with a 35.90 All-Around total.

The Level 10 Nationals were held in Orlando Florida, and seven representatives from the New England- New York Region participated in each of the eight age groups. This event typically attracts many NCAA scouts and coaches searching for talent. The Level 9 event was held in Virginia Beach and is the season finale for the up-and -coming talent.

Brestyan's takes Level 8 States
April 17, 2004

The Level 8 Team girls from Brestyan's American Gymnastics succeeded in wining the Team competition with the help of Sheridan Adley, of Lexington, Michelle Yerardi, of Dedham and Melynee Saya. The competition, held at Mt. Wachusett Community College, in Gardner, brought together the State's best skilled Level seven and eight gymnasts, who were divided further into three age groups each. The Level 8 gymnasts were vying for the top seven spots and the chance to represent the State in New England-New
York Regional competition. Brestyan's girls took three of those spots.

Among the Level 8 leaders, Sheridan Adley placed seconds on Vault, 9.625, Bars, 9.55, and Floor 9.55. She scored a 9.175 on Beam, thus helping her 37.90 All-Around score to earn second place in the meet. Michelle Yerardi placed first on two events Vault, with a 9.75 and Beam with a 9.475. She took fourth on Bars, 9.475, but took a hard fall on Floor which put her in third place in the All-Around with a 37.35 total. Melynee Saya also earned a spot on the State Team with a 9.40 Vault, 9.225 Bars, a 9.25 Beam score, for a 37.025 All-Around. Other Level 8s with notable performances include Cassy Izzo, of Cranston RI, who scored a 9.30 on Beam and a 9.225 on Bars and with
a 36.35 All-Around, will participate on an All-Star Team at Regionals, and Riannon Froman, of Sagamore Beach, who placed fourth on Vault with a 9.575 and scored a 9.25 on Bars.

In the Level 7, Junior A group, Sarah Warden, of Sherborn, placed second on Vault with a 9.35, seventh on Beam, 8.70, and finished sixth in the All-Around with a 35.475. From Billerica, Candie Canning scored a 9.375 on Vault and a 9.225 on Floor in the highly competitive Junior B division. Betsy Janus, of Lynnfield, competing with the Intermediate age group, placed third on Vault, 9.60, and Beam, 9.45. She placed fifth on Bars with a 9.30 and finished in third in the All-Around with a 37.475.

The Level 8 Team win follows Brestyan's previous wins this season with the Level 9s and 10s at the State Level. They look forward to the Level 5 and 6 meets as well due to the depth of their Teams and previous results.

April 17, 2004

Honolulu Hawaii

In Saturday night's Event Final Competition, Alicia Sacramone, 16, of Winchester Mass., beat all an international field on the Vault Competition at the Pacific Alliance gymnastics meet. One of four representing the United States, her 9.418 score in the individual event set a benchmark in this pre-Olympic gathering.

Friday, in the All-Around/Team competition she qualified for the Event Finals, and contributed to the Team USA winning score of 112.58 over Australia, second with a 109.53 and China, third with a 108.76. Sacramone had strong scores on Vault, 9.55 for first place, Beam, 9.35, which tied for seventh, and Floor, 8.66 for thirteenth position. Unfortunately, she scratched Bars leaving her in 18th place in the All-Around. In the top places were Allyse Ishino, a USA team member from Santa Ana, Calif., who placed first with a 37.782 combined score. Second was Carly Patterson, from Allen Texas, with a 37.716 All-Around.

Commenting on Friday, Sacramone said,"It was really exciting with the crowd being there to support us.", and "The team was great. We're always there for each other cheering on the side and we were able to keep each other calm." Currently, she trains at Brestyan's American Gymnastics, of Ashland Mass., under the tutelage of Mihai Brestyan, a former Romanian National Team coach and personal coach of Dominique Moceanu, of the 1996 US Olympic Team.

Cambridge, April 4, 2004

At this past weekend's New England-New York Regional Qualifier, seven gymnasts from Brestyan's American Gymnastics of Ashland earned the rights to compete in the Level 10 Junior Olympic Nationals and Level 9 Easterns. Leading the way in the Level 10 Junior A catagory, Ming Ya Zhou, of Dorchester placed first on Vault, 9.45, Bars 9.125, took second on Floor 9.375 and held first in the All-around with a 37.150. In the Junior B Catagory, Katie Canning, of Billerica, tied for second on Beam with a 9.45, placed eighth on Floor with a 9.125 and finished with a qualifying score of 35.875 for fifth place. In the Senior A division, Julie Sauchuk, from Peabody took fourth on Vault, 9.25 and sixth on Floor with a 9.45. She also qualified with a fifth place All-Around placement scoring 36.325. Stephanie Fay, of Coventry RI, took a third on Floor with a strong 9.50 score and followed closely in the All-around tying for sixth. In the Senior C age group, Bridget Carreiro, of East Freetown, placed fifth on vault with a 9.075 and picked up a qualifying place in seventh with her 35.10 All-Around total.

In the Level 9 Junior A group, Zara Koong Karuman, of Chestnut Hill, placed second on Vault, 9.325, Bars, 9.50 and in the All-around with a 37.175. While in the Junior B catagory, Rachel Guida, of Cumberland RI, earned a sixth on Floor, with a 9.25, which helped her qualify with a 36.20 total and sixth in the All-Around.

Other performances of note were by Rebecca Marrama, a Level 9, who placed first on Vault with a 9.45, and Katie Hurley, a Level 10 from Wrentham, who took third on Vault scoring a 9.30. The meet brought together over 150 club gymnasts who previously qualified through State championships. Generally, only seven from each age category will be representing the Region at Nationals or Easterns.

March, 13 2004

The Level 9 and 10 Teams from Brestyan's American Gymnastics once again shined at the Massachusetts State Championships taking top honors. The Level 10 Junior division was lead by Jennifer Stack, of Enfield CT, who dominated the Vault with a Yurchenko layout-full, scored a 9.50 and finished the All-around with a 36.925. The Intermediate group was won by Katie Canning, from Billerica .

who performed solid routines on Beam and Floor earning 9.425 scores on both events and her first 37 All-Around with her 37.125 total. Together with Seniors Julie Sauchuk, of Peabody, Bridget Carriero, of East Freetown and Stephanie Fay, of Coventry RI, Brestyan's earned an impressive 112.225 team total for the L10 first.

Notable performances by the Level 10 Seniors were Julie Sauchuk's first on Beam, 9.275, second on Vault, 9.35, strong athletic Floor routine, 9.40, for fourth and AA second place finish, 36.90. Stephanie Fay took second on the Floor event with a 9.65, while in the Junior division, Katie Hurley of Wrentham, placed first on Floor earning a 9.675. With the Intermediates, Ming Ya Zhou, of Dorchester, scored a 9.50 first on Floor followed by a 9.25 first on Vault and a 9.20 second on Bars. Katherine Lee, from Reading, took fourth Vault with a 9.05 and Raquel Barron, from Salem NH, took fourth on Floor, 9.40, and Beam 9.225.

The Level 9s were lead the by Zara Koong Karauman, of Chestnut Hill, in the Child division with a win on Vault, 9.40, and Bars, 9.45, and the All-around with a 36.95. Rachel Guida, of Cumberland RI, took first on Floor witha 9.40. For the Intermediate age group, three girls contributed, Rebecca Marrama, of Lynnfield, took first on Vault, 9.275, and second on Bars, 8.95. Kady Sullivan, from Walpole, took a first on Bars with a 9.075 score and Taylor VanderWoulde, of Melrose took second on Floor with a 9.30. Ultimately, the L9s continued the Brestyan's team success with a 109.8 score for the combined win.

March 6-7, 2004

Niagra Cup Results March 6-7, 2004 Brestyan's Gymnastics girls Levels 5-8 traveled to Buffalo on March 7th to compete in Gleason's Gymnastics Niagra Cup. Once again, the girls did great bringing home Team awards in the various skill levels. As for individual performances, our Level 5 athletes competed in the 9-11 age group and were lead by Chloe Herczeg,

of Southbourgh, who took first on both Bars and Vault with 9.60 scores and finished with a 38.05 in the All-Around (a personal best). She was followed by Olivia Privitera, of Framingham, who took third on Bars, 9.50 and in the All-Around with a 37.55. Nicole Chaput, of Holliston, scored a 9.225 on Vault for ninth place and Victoria Cohen who also performed her personal best with a 32.875 total. In the Level 6, 7-9 year old group, Taliana Snell, of Framingham lead the way with some super scores. On Vault, she took first with a 9.85, Bars she won with a 9.775, Floor with a 9.375, and All-Around she carried with a 38.20. Carolyn Ragon, of Melrose, took second on Bars and Floor, both scoring a 9.250, and placed third on Vault earning a 9.650 score. Combined with Beam, she finished in second in the All-Around with a 37.325. Julohn Teixeira, of Holliston, also was hot on Vault, and placed second with a 9.775. She placed fourth on Floor, 9.025 and in the All-Around with a 36.375. Samantha O'Toole, of Medway, placed second on Beam with a 9.275 and fourth on Vault with a 9.400. Cassandra Thibault, of Bellingham, had a great Beam taking third with a 9.225. In the ages 10-11 group, Katja Pidel, of No. Kingstown RI, placed second in the All-Around with a 37.225, after placing on Vault and Beam with 9.45 scores and on Bars with a 9.40. Briana Dwyer, from Franklin, placed on Bars scoring a 9.45 and finished fifth in the All-Around with a 36.475. Breanna Vacca, of Medway, took third on Beam, also scoring a 9.45, and finished in seventh in the All-around with a 35.425. In the age 12 and up category, Chelsea Dwyer, of Franklin, scored a 9.40 on Bars and a 9.30 on Beam which helped her win the All-Around with a 36.775 total. In Level 7, age 7-11 competition, Betsy scored a 9.50 on Vault, 9.55 on Bars and 9.50 on Floor which helped her win the All-Around with a 37.075 total. Candie Canning, of Billerica, followed in second in the AA with a 35.70 total after placing on Floor with a9.425 and on Vault with a 9.15. In Level 8, Brestyan's team swept the first four places starting with Michelle Yerardi, who took first in all events scoring a 9.40 on Vault, 9.50 on Bars, 9.325, on Beam and 9.425 on Floor and 37.650 total for AA. Cassy Izzo, of Cranston RI, came in second on Beam, 9.10 and Floor , 9.225, and in the All-Around with a 36.050. Melynee Saya came next with a third on Floor, 9.05 and in the All-Around scoring 35.325. Next in the All-Around, 34.725, was Rhiannon Froman, of Sagamore Beach, who placed second on two events, Bars with a 9.475, and Vault, 9.10.

Feb. 27, 2004

New York

Alicia Sacramone, of Winchester, finished in second place with a 36.375 All-Around combined score in competition at today's USA Gymnastics National Podium Meet. The meet, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, is an elite meet of the highest caliber, an d a precursor for the Visa American Cup an International event to be held tomorrow.

In individual events, Sacramone took first on Vault with a 9.30, first on Floor with a 9.65 and second on Beam with a 9.475. The Floor success follows last years performance at the US Championships where she placed fourth. With that, she was selected as member of USA Gymnastics Sr. National Team and has competed internationally in France and next month in Brazil. Best known for her powerful tumbling and eye-catching routines, she is expecting to participate in the Olympic trials later this year.

Alicia is coached by Mihai and Silvia Brestyan, former Romanian National Team coaches at their gym in Ashland. Other locally known gymnasts in the competition included Hillary Mauro and Sabrina Franceschelli, of Mass Gym Center, in Westboro, and Monica Shoji, formerly of Brestyans and now competing for Hill's Angels of Maryland.

Feb. 15, 2004

This past weekend, Feb 14-15, the Level 5-8 girls from Brestyan's Gymnastics traveled to Binghamton NY for the I Love New York meet, while the upper levels competed in the Excalibur Cup in Virginia Beach VA. Once again the Level 5, 6 and now the 8s carried away the team awards. Meanwhile, the Level 10s competed against many of the nations well known teams, notably the Parkettes, Cincinatti Gymnastics, the host team Excalibur, and finished in third place. On the downside, veteran gymnast, Jennifer Sobuta, of Maynard, damaged her Achilles tendon and will most likely be out for the rest of the season.

In the Virginia Beach meet, Level 10-Open Senior Division, Alicia Sacramone, of Winchester lead the team taking first place on Floor with a 9.725, then taking seconds on Vault, 9.825, and Bars, 9.600, and finishing third in the All-around with a 37.325. Stephanie Fay, of Coventry RI, took fourth on Floor scoring a 9.40 and finished tenth in the All-Around. In Child Division Ming Ya Zhou, of Dorchester, placed fifth on both Vault and Bars, with 8.95 and 9.00 scores, and finished fourth in the All-Around with a 35.75 total.

For the Level 9, Junior A Divison, Zara Koong-Karuman, of Chestnut Hill, took second on Bars with a 9.475, and finished sixth in the All-around with a 35.375. Rachel Guida, from Cumberland RI, followed in fifth on Bars with an 8.85 and took eighth in the All-Around with a 35.025 combined score. In the Junior B Division, Kady Sullivan also did well on Bars with a 9.050 for fifth place.

In the New York meet, Level 8 competition, Michelle Yerardi, of Dedham, had a fantastic meet taking firsts on Vault, 9.475, Beam ,9.65, and Floor, 9.625 and second on Bars, 9.65, which carried the All-Around with a 38.40 total. Cassandra Izzo, of Cranston RI, took thirds on Vault, 9.35, Bars, 9.65 and Beam 9.35, and took second in the All-around with a 37.375. Melynee Saya scored 9.00 on both Floor and Vault, taking fourth and sixth respectively. In Level 7, with the 7-10 year olds, Sarah Warden, took first on Vault with a 9.475 and Floor with a 9.15. She also came in fourth in the All-Around with a 35.125 total. Betsy competing with the 11-12 year olds, scored a 9.20 on Bars and 9.30 on Floor placing sixth in both events and seventh in the All-Around.

In Level 6, 7-9 year-old competition, Julohn Teixeira from Holliston lead all with a first on Bars, 9.25, Beam, 9.45, and All-Around 37.375. Taliana Snell, of Framingham, took the first on Floor, 9.375, and placed second on Vault, 9.625, Bars, 9.125, and then in the All-Around with a 37.255 total. Casey Bennett, of Ashland, won the Vault event with a 9.775 and came in third on the Floor 9.175 and in the All-Around with a 36.675 total. From Melrose, Carolyn Ragon took second on Floor, 9.20, and fourth in the All-Around scoring 35.90. Samantha O'Toole, from Medway, took fifth on Floor, 8.95 and sixth in the All-Around, 34.60.

For Level 6, 10-11 year olds, Breanna Vacca, of Medway, lead the Vault competition with a 9.30, took thirds on Beam, 9.20, and Floor, 9.00 and carried the All-Around with a 36.60. Katja Pidel, of No. Kingstown RI, came in first on the Bars, 9.00, second on Beam, 9.225, and in the All-Around, scoring 35.95. Rebecca Mespelli, of Ashland, placed thirds on Vault, 9.225 and Bars, 8.95, and for the All-Around took fourth, 35.725. From Franklin, Briana Dwyer took second on Bars with a 9.00, and fifth in the All-Around, 35.55. Cassandra Thibault, from Bellingham, took first on Floor with a 9.100and fourth on Beam with a 9.15.

With the 12 and older group for Level 6, Lee placed first on Vault, 9.35, Bars, 9.175, and finished first for All-around with a 36.60. Chelsea dwyer, from Franklin, followed in second on the bars with a 9.050 and in the All-Around with a 35.625. Ashley Justin, of No. Dighton, took firsts on Beam, 9.35 and Floor, 9.225 and her 35.30 total carried third in the All-Around. Kayla Farley, of Hopkinton, scored a 8.80 for fourth on Bars, while Moira Pryhoda, took third on both Bars, 8.85 and Floor, 8.80.

For the Level 5, 10-11 year old group, Katie Kori, of Northborough, took thirds on Vault, 9.30 and Bars, 9.25, and finished fourth with a 36.275 total in the All-Around. Nicole Chaput, of Holliston, also did well on Vault taking second with a 9.450. In the 7-9 year old Division, Olivia Privitera, of Framingham, had a great meet taking firsts on Vault, 9.575, Beam, 9.725, Floor 9.550 and the All-Around with her 38.40 total. Chloe Herczeg, of Southbrough, placed first on the Bar event with a 9.625, and took second on Vault, 9.525 and in the All-Around, 37.575. Melissa Mespelli, of Ashland, placed second on Floor, 9.450, tied for second on Beam, 9.375, and finished third in the All-Around with a 37.225. Alexi Kidd, from South Natick, finished the tie for second on the Beam, 9.375, and placed third on Bars, 9.475, and fouth in the All-Around with a 37.175 total.

Feb. 1, 2004

   The girls from Brestyan's American Gymnastics Club, of Ashland traveled to Allentown PA, to participate in the 30th Annual Parkette's Invitational. The nationally recognized meet proved to be an opportunity for some of Brestyan's veterans and a few up and coming new stars. Some notable performances were given in Level 10 by Katie Canning, of Billerica, who scored a 35.90 in the 14 year old group for a third place finish and by Julie Sauchuk, of Peabody, who also finished third with a 35.425 in the 16 year old group. Following up many local successes, Michelle Yerardi, of Dedham, and Cassy Izzo, of Cranston RI, carried the Level 7 group with first and third places respectively and Chloe Herczeg, of Southborough, dominated the Level 5s. Meanwhile, the Level 6 team carried most of the top places across all the four age divisions.
   The Open Optional competition on Friday night was the feature event, and included several US National Team members and the former World Bars Champion Courtney Kupets, from Hills Gymnastics. Leading the Brestyan's team was Alicia Sacramone, of Winchester, who scored a 9.625 on both Vault and Bars, and earned first and third placements. She also earned a 9.50 for tenth on Floor.

Ming Ya Zhou, of Dorchester, followed with a 9.25 on Floor, while Katie Hurley, of Wrentham, had a fine Vault earning a 9.375.
    In the level 10, 14 year-old division, Katie Canning, scored a 9.0s on Vault and Floor and consistency helped her 35.90 total for the third place All-Around finish. Katherine Lee, of Reading, scored well, earning 9.25 scores on Floor and Vault for seventh and eighth event placements. With the 15 year olds, Jennifer Stack, of Enfield CT, scored 9.15s on Vault, Bars and Floor, and shared a tie for fourth on Bars. For the sixteen year olds, Julie Sauchuk, took third on Bars with a 8.80 and sixth on Floor with a 9.175, and held onto third in the All-Around with a 35.425. Caitlin Briere, placed second on Vault with a 9.375, third on Floor with a 9.15 and finished fifth in the All-Around.

Stephanie Fay, from Coventry RI, captured first place on Floor with a 9.350 and sixth on Bars scoring a 8.675. In the seventeen and older group, Bridget Carreiro, of East Freetown, took a second on Floor, also with a 9.350 score.

Level 9 also saw keen competition. Brestyan's gymnast Zara Koong-Karuman, from Chestnut Hill, lead the 10-12 year-old group with a 9.20 on Bars for eighth and finished in the All-Around fifth with a 36.075. Rebecca, followed with a 9.125 on Vault and Jaquelyn Snell, of Framingham, also did well on Vault with a 9.25 placing sixth. In the 13 year-old division, Kady Sullivan, of Walpole, scored a 9.0 for ninth on Bars.
   In the Level 8, 9-10 year old group, Michelle Yerardi shined with a first place on Vault, 9.375, Floor, 9.500, third on Beam, 9.525 and first in the All-Around with her 37.700 total. Cassy Izzo, scored a 9.50 on Bars and a 9.35 both for sixth places, but consistency helped her to a third place finish with the 37.025 in the All-Around.  While in the Level 7, 11 year-old group, Betsy took third on Vault scoring a 9.375, seventh on Bars, with a 9.20 and finished in sixth in the All-Around with a 36.325 total.

The Level 6 girls made their mark, starting with the 8-9 year old group. Taliana Snell, of Framingham, won the vault with a 9.60, and posted second on Floor, 9.65 and in the All-Around with a 37.675 total. Julohn Texeira, of Holliston closely followed in all events, scoring a 9.525 on Floor for third and finishing third in the All-around with a 37.125. Casey Bennett, of Ashland, did best on Bars with a 9.40 taking third place on that event and finished in sixth with a 36.675 total. From Melrose, Carolyn Ragon scored a 9.425 for fourth on Floor and followed on seventh on Beam, 9.125, and in the All-Around with a 36.30 combined score. With the 10 year-old group, Briana, won the Floor event with a 9.45, took third on the Beam, 9.00, and placed second in the All-Around with a 36.15. Katja Pidel, from No. Kingstown RI, took two second placements on Bars, 9.05, and Floor, 9.275 and finshed third in the All-Around with a 35.90 total. Rebecca Mespelli, of Ashland, came in seventh on Vault with a 9.00. In the 11 year-old group, Lee, took firsts on Vault, 9.50, Bars, 9.175, third on Beam, 8.95 and first in the All-Around with a 36.725. Breanna Vacca, of Medway, took fourths on Vault, 9.175, Bars, 8.80, Floor, 9.20 and her consistency earned her second in the All-Around with her 35.775 total. In the 12 and older group, Ashley Justin, of No. Dighton, placed first on Floor scoring 9.45, second on Beam with a 9.00 and finished first in the All-Around with a 35.65. Chelsea placed second on Bars, 9.35, Floor, 9.30, and finished fourth in the All-Around with a 35.45. Moira Pryhoda, also from Franklin, placed third on Bars with a 9.30, and Kayla Farley, of Hopkinton, placed seventh on Bars with a 8.55.

In Level 5, 7-8 year old competition, Olivia Privitera, of Framingham, placed second on Vault, 9.00, Floor, 9.10 and in the All-Around with a 36.625 total.

From South Natick, Alexi Kidd placed third on Bars with a 9.45 and fifth in the All-Around with a 35.60. Mellisa Mespelli, of Ashland, came in fifth on Bars, 9.10 and sixth on Vault, 8.75. In the 9 year old division, Chloe Herczeg, from Southborurgh, topped all in Vault, 9.20, Bars, 9.65, and Beam, 9.425. She came in second on the Floor with a 9.30 and finished first in the All-Around with her combined 37.575. Katie Kori, of Northborough, took third on Vault with a 8.80. In the 11 and older category, Nichole Chaput, of Holliston, placed seventh on Vault with a 8.725.

Jan. 18, 2004

Brestyan's American Gymnastics Club, of Ashford, held their annual Classic Invitational at Tufts University this past weekend for over 450 athletes. Twenty-two gymnastics clubs participated from as far away as New Jersey, and the Brestyan's girls again topped the Level 5,6, 9 and 10 for team awards. The three-day event also included a Regional Elite qualifier, to the delight of the Saturday night audience, and provided the opportunity for the most talented competitors to advance to National Challenge/Classic competition. Meanwhile, for those in the Junior Olympic program, State gymnastics authorities designated the meet as a Sectional Qualifier, to meet the requirements for the State finals. Many of Brestyan's own girls performed individual bests before the packed arena. In the Level 10, Junior A division, Ming Ya Zhou, of Dorchester, placed first on Beam with a 9.575, second on Floor,9.375 and First in the All-Around with a 37.275. Katherine Lee, from Reading, placed fourth on Floor scoring a 9.125 and seventh on Vault with a 9.15.

In the Junior B group, Jennifer Stack, of Enfield CT, placed first on Floor with a 9.550, fourth on Floor with a 9.15 and finished fifth in the All-Around with a 35.70 total. Katie Canning, of Billerica, took fourth on Floor with a 9.075, and fifths on Vault, 9.10 and Beam, 9.20, while Katie Hurley, of Wrentham, took first place on Vault with a 9.45 score. In the Senior A division, Jennifer Sobuta, of Maynard, won the Beam and Floor events with 9.45 and 9.35 scores repectively, and took second in the All-around with a 36.80 total. Stephanie Fay, of Coventry RI, placed seconds on Bars, 8.925 and Floor, 9.25 and closely followed in the All-Around with a 35.20, while Caitlin Briere, took a fourth on Bars. In the Senior B group, Bridget Carreiro, of East Freetown, finished in third on two events, Vault, with a 9.0 and Bars, with a 8.875.
In Level 9 Junior A, two Brestyan's girls tied for first place in the All-Around, Rebecca, and Zara Koong Karuman, of Chestnut Hill, scoring 36.150. Rebecca also earned a first on Vault with a 9.450, while Zara took first on Bars with a 9.050. From Framingham, Jacquelyn Snell took second on Vault with a 9.250, while Rachel Guida, of Cumberland RI, did well on Beam with a 9.050, placing fifth. In the Junior B division, Kady Sullivan, of Walpole, placed first on Bars with a 9.225, tied for third on Vault with a 9.00 and finished second in the All-around with a 35.475 combined total. Taylor VanderWoude, took the first on Floor by scoring a 9.225 and finished fifth in the All-Around with a 34.825.
Brestyan's had five girls competing as Level 8s. In the Child division, MichelleYerardi, of Dedham, took first on Vault, 9.55, Beam, 9.60, and in the All-Around with a 37.10 total. Casy Izzo, of Cranston RI, took second on Vault with a 9.30 and finished in fifth with a 35.85 All-Around total. Rhiannon Froman, of Sagamore Beach, took fifth on Floor with a 8.850 and sixth on Vault with a 8.90. In the Intermediate age group, Melynee Saya, took a fourth on Beam with a 9.10 and a fifth on Vault scoring a 8.70. With the Junior B group, Lauren Pisarczyk, of Medway, tied for sixth on Beam with a 8.80.
In Level 7, three team members participated in the Child age group. Betsey, placed first on Beam with a 9.10, took second on Bars, tied second on Vault and Floor, and held first in the All-Around with a 36.10 total. Sarah Warden, of Sherborn, finished third in the All-Around, shared the second on Vault and placed first on Floor with a 9.050. Candie Canning, of Billerica, took the other half of the Floor award with a 8.80 score and finished fourth with a 34.20.

The Brestyan's Team dominated the Level 6s, particularly in the Child division, where Julohn Teixeira, of Holliston, who scored a 9.75 on Vault, 9.55 on Bars, 9.425 on Beam for individual firsts, and took the All-Around with an incredible 38.025 total. Closely following in those events, and leading on the Floor was Taliana Snell, of Framingham, who scored a 9.65 Vault, a 9.45 Floor and a 37.875 All-Around. Carolyn Ragon, of Melrose, took third on Beam scoring 9.355 and third in the All-Around with a 36.93. From Ashland, Casey Bennett took second on Floor, 9.40, and third on Vault with a 9.55, and finished fourth in the All-Around with a 36.750. Cassandra Thibault, from Bellingham, earned a 9.20 for fourth on Beam and her 35.80 in the All-Around finished sixth. Samantha O'Toole, of Medway, also did well on Beam, placing fifth with 9.00 score. In the Intermediate division, Briana, placed first on Floor scoring a 9.400, and took seconds on Bars, 9.275, and Beam, with a 9.225. Together with a 9.20 Vault earned her a 37.10 total for the All-Around first. Katja Pidel, of N. Kingstown RI, scored a 9.40 on Vault for second place, and finished in third in the All-Around with a 36.825. From Ashland, Rebecca Mespelli, took fourths on Vault, 9.20 and Bars with a 8.90. In the Junior A group, Lee, placed second on Bars with a 9.225 and second in the All-Around with a 36.75. Breanna Vacca, of Medway placed first on Vault with a 9.40. As for the Junior B group, Kayla Farley, of Hopkinton, placed first on Beam with a 9.00, thirds on Vault and Floor and held second in the All-Around with a 35.50. In the Senior group, Ashley Justin, of No Dighton, took firsts on Beam with a 9.30 and Floor with a 9.50. She went on to place second on Vault with a 9.30 and in the All-around with a 36.80. Chelsea, placed third on Bars with a 9.00 and in the All-Around with her 35.55 total. Moira Pryhoda, took second on Bars with a 9.10 and fifth on Vault scoring 9.15.
In Level 5 Child group competition, Olivia Privitera, of Framingham, also had an incredible meet, placing first on Bars, 9.475, Beam, 9.225, Floor, 9.45, and in the All-Around with her 37.40 total. Alexi Kidd of South Natick, placed first on Vault, 9.40, and took seconds on Bars, Beam and in the All-Around with a 36.85 total. Melissa Mespelli, of Ashland, took second on Floor with a 9.15 and third in the All-Around with a 36.00. Chloe Herczeg, of Southbourgh was the star of the Intermediate division, winning all the individual events and the All-Around with the following scores, Vault, 9.65, Bars, 9.50, Beam, 9.25, Floor, 9.55 and All-Around, 37.95. For the Junior A group, Katie Kori, of Northborough, won the Vault with a 9.00, placed seconds on Beam and Floor and took the All-Around with a 35.55 total score. Another from Franklin, Victoria Cohen, took seventh on Beam with an 8.55. Lastly, in the Junior B division, Nicole Chaput, of Holliston, took second on Vault and second on Beam, both with 9.00 scores, and finished in fourth in the All-Around with a 35.50.

Dec. 14, 2003

The Level 5 and 6 girls from Brestyan's American Gymnastics competed last weekend in Massachusetts' Winter State Championship, taking the Team Award in Level 6 as well as top individual places. Notable performances were given by Chloe Herczeg, of Southborough, in Level 5, and Taliana Snell, of Framingham, in the Level 6 group.

For the individual events in Level 5, Chloe Herczeg competing in the 7-8 year old division placed first on Bars, 9.40, then took seconds on Vault, 9.10, and Floor, 8.85, which carried her 36.225 total for a All-Around win.

Next came Olivia Privatera, of Framingham, who took second on the Bars with a 9.15 score and second in the All-Around, with a 35.55 total. Alexi Kidd, of South Natick, captured firsts on Vault, 9.25, and on Floor 8.90, then took third in the All-Around with a 35.20. Melissa Mispelli, of Ashland, placed first on the Beam with a 9.40 score and finished in fourh in the All-around with a 35.00. In the 11 year old group, Nicole Chaput, of Holliston, scored well on Beam with a 8.90 and finished with a 33.95 All-Around total

In the Level 6,age 7-9 group, Taliania Snell won first places on Bars, 9.30, and Beam with a 9.600, then took seconds on Vault, 9.60, and Floor with a 9.20 carrying her 37.70 total to first in the All-Around. Julohn Teixeira, of Holliston, took second on the Bars, scoring 9.20, third on Beam, 9.20, and finished third in the All-Around. From Ashland, Casey Bennett, executed a Vault that earned a 9.70 score and first place, then scored a 9.050 on Floor for fourth and finished fifth in the All-Around with a 35.85. Carolyn Ragon, of Melrose, also scored well on Vault with a 9.40, then 9.00 on Floor, placing fourth and fifth respectively. Casandra Thibault, of Bellingham, scored a 9.175 on Vault, and 9.10 for fifth on Beam. Samantha O'Toole, of Medway, scored a 8.90 on Vault as her best event.

In the 10 year old age group, Briana, placed first on Beam with a 9.40 and finished fourth in the All-Around with a 36.60 total. Katja Pidel, of No. Kingstown RI, placed second on Bars with a 9.100, third on Vault, 9.40, and finished fifth in the All-Around with a 36.375. Lee took first on Vault with a huge 9.75 score, then took fifth on Bars with a 9.00 and sixth in the All-Around with a 36.33 total. Rebecca Mespelli, of Ashland, placed second on Vault with a 9.425 and Breanna Vacca, from Medway, continued Brestyan's Vault dominance with a 8.95.

In the 11 year old group, Kayla Farley, of Hopkinton, placed fourth on Bars with a 8.80 score, and Chelsea  placed fourth on Beam, 9.050 and fifth in the All-Around with a 35.15 total. For the 13 and older group, Ashley Justin, of No Dighton, placed firsts on Beam, 9.250, Floor, 8.925 and in the All-Around with a 35.625 total. Moira Pryhoda placed first on the remaining events, Vault, with a 9.10 and Bars, 8.90, and finished fourth in the All-Around.

Dec. 6-7, 2003

Over 350 gymnasts from 16 gyms braved last weekend's stormy weather to compete at Springfield College in Thompson's gymnastics Holiday Invitational. Coming from as far away as New Hampsire, the meet is a major draw for the New York- New England Region, and once again the Brestyan's girls, from Ashland brought home the team awards in Levels 5,6, 9 and 10. They took second place in Level 8 and fifth in Level 7. Brestyan's also "fielded", so to speak, the largest team with 46 athletes hailing from Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and the Metro Boston area.

In individual competition in Level 10, Julie Sauchuk of Peabody, lead the senior division taking first place on Vault, 9.275, Bars, 9.25, Floor, 9.650 and with her All-Around total of 37.225. Stephanie Faye, of Coventry RI, placed second on Floor with a 9.55, then took thirds on Vault, 9.00, Bars, 8.90, and in the All-Around with a 35.20. Jennifer Sobuta, from Maynard, placed third on Beam with a 8.65.

With the Level 10 juniors, Ming Ya Zhou, of Dorchester, captured first places on Floor, 9.475, Beam 9.200, and in the All-Around with a 36.55 total. Jennifer Stack, from Enfield CT, took first on Bars, 9.35 and second in the All-Around with a 36.050 total. Katie Canning, of Billerica, placed second on Floor, 9.50, third on Beam, 8.85 and third in the All-Around, 35.90. From Salem NH, Raquel Barron, placed third on Bars and Floor, 9.00 and 9.375, and fourth on Vault, 9.025, and in the All-Around with a 35.70 total.

Brestyan's Level 9s competed in the junior age group. Zara Koong Karuman, of Chestnut Hill, lead the team with a 9.025 on Vault, 9.10 on Beam, 9.40 on Bars and in the All-Around, with a 36.60 total. Kady Sullivan, of Walpole,followed closely on Vault, 9.00, Bars 9.40, Beam 8.80 and in the All-Around with a 36.375. Rebecca took third on Bars, 9.050, and fourth in the All-Around with a 35.00. From Framingham, Jacquelyn Snell, placed fourths on Vault and Beam and finished fifth in the All-Around with a 35.25 combined score.

With the Level 8, age 8-12 group, Michelle Yerardi, of Dedham took first on Bars with a 9.60, fourth on Beam, 9.10, and captured first in the All-Around with a 36.975 total. Melynee Saya, placed on the Bars with a 9.25 and took fifth in the All-around with a 35.475. Cassy Izzo, of Cranston RI, also did will on Bars scoring 9.20 and finished 6^th with a 35.45 All-Around score. In the 13 and older group, Lauren Pisarczyk, of Medway placed with a 9.00 on Beam, a 8.65 on Vault and a 33.65 in the All-Around.

In the Level 7, age 7-10 division, Sara Warden, of Sherborn, placed first on Vault, 9.30, second on floor 9.20 and third in the All-Around. Candie Canning, of Billerica, took fourth place on Bars with a 9.00 and third place on Beam scoring 8.85. In the eleven year old group, Betsy, won the Bars competition with a 9.55, placed second on Floor with a 9.025, then finished in second in the All-Around.

For the Level 6, nine and under age group, Taliana Snell, of Framingham, placed first on Vault, 9.40, on Bars, 9.20, on Floor, 9.525 and in the All-Around with a 36.725. Julohn Teixeira, of Holliston, took second on Vault with a 9.30, fourth on Floor with a 9.05, and third in the All-Around with a 36.05. Cassandra Thibault, from Bellingham, placed seconds on Bars and Floor, with 9.10 and 9.15 scores. Samantha O'Toole, of Medway, placed seventh on Vault with a 8.80. With the 10 year olds, Briana , placed first on both Vault, 9.30, Floor, 9.10, and finished second in the All-Around with a 35.30. In the 11 year old division, Lee, placed firsts on Vault, 9.40, Bars, 9.15, and with her 36.05 All-Around total. Breanna Vacca, of Medway, won the Beam with a 8.70, scored a 9.0 for fourth on Vault, and finished third with a 35.15. In the 12 year group, Chelsea Dwyer, scored a 9.10 for first on Floor, and took seconds on Vault, 9.20, Bars 9.10, and in the All-Around with a 35.55. Kayla Farley, of Hopkinton, placed fourth on Bars with a 8.75. With the 13 and older girls, Ashley Justin, of No. Dighton, took the Floor

with a 9.15, Vault with a 9.00 and third in the All-Around with a 34.20. Moira Pryhoda, placed first on Bars, 8.85, second on Floor, 8.95, and scored 34.0 for fifth in the All-Around.

For the individual events in Level 5, Chloe Herczeg competing in the 7-8 year old division placed first on Vault, 9.35, then took seconds on Bars, 8.95, Beam, 9.15 and Floor, 9.30, which carried her 36.75 total for a All-Around win. Closely following, Alexi Kidd, of South Natick, captured firsts on Bars, 9.05,and on Floor 9.40, then took second on Vault, 9.30 and in the All-Around with a 36.45. Olivia Privitera, of Framingham, took first on the Beam with a 9.425, and third places on Vault, Bars, Floor, and in the All-Around with her 36.175 total. In the 9 year old division, Katie Kori, from Northborough, placed first on Bars and third on Beam, both with 9.00 scores.

Nov 22-23, 2003

The Women's Gymnastics Teams from Brestyan's Gymnastics, of Ashland, competed in two local invitationals this past weekend, while Brestyan's top gymnast, Alicia Sacramone, represented the United States in France. Sacaramone, of in

Winchester, competed in the Massilia Gym Cup in Marseille France against 16 international teams, earning a 8.881 on Vault for ninth place, and a 9.200 for fourth on Floor. The Optional level athletes participated in the Pilgrim Harvest Meet, hosted by Giguere's of Cherry Valley, while the Compulsory teams went to Yellow Jackets in Middleton. Both sets excelled winning team awards in Levels 5, 6, 9 and 10. In State competition, the Pilgrim is a widely recognized season opener, where the girls first exhibit new skills learned over the summer and fall.

In the Level 10, Senior age group, Julie Sauchuk, of Peabody lead all in

on the Vault, 9.55, Bars, 9.050 and a spectacular floor routine, scoring 9.70, which helped her finish first with a 37.150 in the All Around. Bridget Carreiro, from E. Freetown, scored a 9.10 for fourth on Beam and a 9.40 fourth on Floor, and carried a 36.075 All-Around total. Jen Sobuta, of Maynard, had a 9.45 first place on Beam, and a 9.425 first place on Vault.

The Junior division was lead by Katie Canning, of Billerica. After winning Bars with a 9.20, she scored another 9.20 on Vault, then 9.25 on Beam, 9.325 on Floor capturing the All-Around with a 36.975 total. Jennifer Stack, of Enfield CT, excelled on the Vault with a 9.525, then took second places on Bars, 9.050, and Floor, 9.40, and third in the All-Around with a 36.275. Stephanie Faye, of Coventry RI, scored a 9.15 on Vault, and 9.375 on Floor for fourth place. From Wrentham, Katie Hurley took third on Vault with a 9.425, and first on Floor with a 9.60.

With the Intermediate age group, Ming Ya Zhou, of Dorchester, placed first on Vault with a 9.550, second on Beam, 8.90, fourth on Floor, 9.35, thus taking the All-Around with her 36.50. Raquel Barron, of Salem NH, took third on Vault with a 9.200 and fifth on Bars with a 8.90.

In the Level 9, 13 and older competition, Rachel Guida, of Cumberland RI, placed first on Floor with a 9.10, second on Beam with a 8.85, and carried through for first in the All-around with a 35.325 total. Zara Koong Karuman, of Chestnut Hill, led Bars with a 9.25, took second on Vault with a 9.225 and finished second with a 35.225 total. From Walpole, Kady Sullivan, scored a 9.20 for first on Bars, 9.075 for third on Vault and 34.825 for third in the All-Around. Taylor VanderWoude took first on Beam with a 8.95. In the junior age group, Leah Pacheco, of Hyannis, placed first on Beam with a 8.95, third on Vault, 9.10, and tied for third in the All-Around with a 34.90. Rebecca placed second on Floor and Bars with 8.85 scores and completed the tie with Leah for All-Around third scoring 34.90.

With the Level 8s, Cassie Izzo, of Cranston RI, scored a 9.35 on Beam for first place, 9.10 on Floor for second, and finished with 35.45 for sixth in the All-Around. Melynee Saya, took first on Floor and Vault with a 9.15 and 9.30 score respectively, and finshed third in the All-Around. Lauren Pisarczyk, of Medway scored a 9.25 on Beam, but later withdrew due to injury.

The level 7s saw Betsy place third on Beam, 8.85, and Vault, 9.20, and finish in second place in the All-around with a 35.40 score. Sarah Warden, of Sherborn, captured the vault with a 9.40 score, and tied for sixth on Bars with an 8.30. Candie Canning, from Billerica completed the tie on Bars, also scoring an 8.30.

At the Yellow Jackets meet, the Level 6 ten and under age group, was dominated be Taliana Snell, of Framingham, who consistently set new standards in all the individual events scoring 9.55 on Vault, 9.500 on Bars, 9.40 on Beam, 9.525 on Floor for a 37.975 All-Around total. Casey Bennett, of Ashland, followed in second in the All-Around with a 36.825, after scoring a 9.250 fourth on Vault and a 9.375, third place on Bars. Julohn Teixeira, of Holliston, placed second on Bars and Floor with 9.425 and 9.200 scores respectively, and finished third in the All-Around with a 36.675. Briana scored 9.25 on Bars and 9.15 on Floor for event fourth places and finished fifth in the All-Around with a 35.900. From Bellingham, Cassandra Thibault, scored a 9.200 on Beam for third, and took sixth in the All-Around scoring 35.750, while Carolyn Ragon, of Melrose, also scored a 9.200 for third in the Floor event.

In the 11 and older group, Lee placed fourths on Bars and Floor with 8.90 and 9.225 scores and finished with a 36.075 total. Katja Pidel, of No. Kingston RI, took second on Beam with a 9.125 and fifth on Bars scoring 9.15. Breanna Vacca, form Medway, placed third on Beam with a 9.10 and sixth on vault with a 9.300. Then Ashley Justin, of No. Dighton, took fourth on Beam with a 9.125, sixth on Floor, 9.00, and finished fifth with a 35.025 total. Chelsea, took fifth on Bars with a 8.85 and finished sixth scoring a 34.90 total.

For the Level 5 girls, Chloe Herczeg, of Southborough, placed first on Vault in

and Bars with 9.40 and 9.35 scores respectively, and finished first in the All-around with a 36.625. Olivia Privitera, from Framingham, followed in second on Vault, 9.35, and Vault, 9.15, won the Floor, 9.50 and finished in second in the All-Around with a 36.35. From South Natick, Alexi Kidd placed fourth on Bars, 8.75, and Beam, 8.90, and in the All-Around scoring 35.80. Melissa Mespelli, of Ashland, took second on Beam with a 9.10, and in the 11 year old age group, Nicole Chaput, from Holliston, also took second on the Beam with a 9.15.

Nov. 1, 2003

The Compulsory Girl's Gymnastics Team, Levels 5 and 6, from Brestyan's American Gymnastics of Ashland competed last weekend at MGC- Westboro, in a local meet for Sectional and Winter States qualification. The girls were seeking a 32.00 minimum All-Around score to move on, and all ultimately made the score. Other gyms in attendance included Yellow Jackets Gymnastics Club, of Middleton, and Quiggs of Millis.

In the Level 5 competition, Chloe Herczeg, of Southbourgh, lead the group with a 9.20 Vault and a 36.10 in the All-Around. Olivia Privitera, of Framingham, followed closely with a 9.0 on Beam and a 35.60 in the All-Around. .

Alexi Kidd, from South Natick, alos scored best on Vault with a 8.85 and finished with a 34.65 total. Melissa Mespelli, of Ashland, scored a 8.675 on Floor and 34.225 in the All-Around, and Nicole Chaput, of Holliston, also had a strong 8.80 on Vault and finished with a 33.50.

The Level 6 meet had four age groups. The age 9 and under girls were lead by Julohn Teixeira, of Holliston, who scored a 9.0 on Beam and achieved a 35.825 in the All-Around. From Ashland, Casey Bennett, took second with a 35.25 total, with her best event being Vault, scoring 9.25. Carolyn Ragon, of Melrose closely followed on Vault and in the All-around with a 34.65 total. Cassandra Thibault, of Bellingham, scored consistently to earn a 34.60 in the All-Around. Taliana Snell, from Framingham, was hot on the Vault with a 9.30 score. Samantha O'Toole, from Medway, earned a 8.65 in the same event.

In the 10-11 age group, Katja Pidel captured firsts on Bars and Vault, scoring 9.0 aand 9.15, then won the All-Around with her 35.00 total. Briana, scored 8.85s on both Vault and Floor, and finished second in the All-Around with .

a 34.50. Lee, came next in All-Around scoring with a 34.375. Her best event was again Vault, with a 9.275. Rebecca Mespelli, another vaulter, from Ashland, scored a 8.90, then finished with a 33.80 in the All-Around.

In the 12-13 year-old age division, Ashley Justin, of No. Dighton, lead the Beam scoring with a 9.30 and the All-Around with a 34.35. Chelsea, won the Bars with a 8.75 and took second in the All-Around with a 33.675 total. Breanna Vacca, from Medway, scored a 8.65 on Vault, while Kayla Farley, of Hopkinton, earned a 8.60 on Bars. Moira Pryhoda, scored well on Bars in the 14 and over group taking a 8.65.

Oct 28, 2003

Brestyan's American Gymnastics Club Level 5 thru 7 Women's Team held their first competition of the 2003-2004 year at a home meet at their gym in Ashland on October 25^th. Thirty-one athletes participated from the local communities.

Leading off the Level 5 group, Olivia Privitera, of Framingham, captured three individual events the Vault, with a 9.20, Beam with a 9.65, and Floor with a 9.05, and went on to take the All-Around with her 36.60 total. Chloe Herczeg, from Southbourough, was victorious on the Bar event with an 8.95, and tied for second on Beam with a 9.10. Chloe finished in second place in the All-Around with a 35.35 total. Melissa Mispelli, of Ashland, took second place on Floor with a 9.00, also tied for second on Bars and finished third with a 35.05 All-Around score. From South Natick, Alexi Kidd tied for second place on Vault with an 8.70 score and tied for third on Bars with an 8.45. Nicole Chaput, of Holliston, completed the tie on Bars with her 8.70. Katie Kori, from Northborough, new to the team this year, took a fifth on Bars and scored best on Floor.

In Level 6 competition, Taliana Snell, of Framingham, lead her group with two individual first, Vault, with a 9.60 and Bars with a 8.90. Together with Beam and Floor, her 36.60 total captured the All-Around as well. Closely following, Katja Pidel, of North Kingstown RI, won the Beam competition with a 9.30 score. She then went on to take second on the Floor event with a 9.30 and in the All-Around with a 36.60. Also from Ashland, Casey Bennett took second places on Vault and Bars, scoring 9.45 and 8.85 respectively, and finished third in the All-Around with a 36.10 total. Another new team member, Briana, took third on Bars with a 8.75, fourth on Vault with a 9.35 and held fourth in the All-Around with a 35.85 combined score. Julohn Teixeira, of Holliston, tied for third on Floor with a 9.15, and finished fifth in the All-Around. Another Holliston girl, Lee, won the Floor event with a 9.40 and placed second on the Vault with a 9.45. Cassandra Thibault, of Bellingham, also tied for second on Beam with a 9.20 and placed fourth on Bars. Carolyn Ragon, of Melrose, also scored a 9.15 on Floor to tie for third place then took a fourth on Beam with a 9.10. Chelsea, placed sixth on Bars and tied with Ashley Justin, of North Dighton, on Beam. Rebecca Mispelli, of Ashland, scored a 9.25 and tied for sixth on Vault. Breanna Vacca, of Medway, competed her best event on Beam, scoring a 9.20 for a second place tie.

The Level 7 girls were lead by Michelle Yerardi, of Dedham, who placed firsts on Vault with a 9.65, Beam with a 9.45 and Floor with a 9.20, thus capturing the All-Around with a 36.75 total. Betsy, took the remaining event, Bars with a 8.85, and took second places on Vault, 9.15, and Beam, 8.95, and in the All-around with a 35.15. Cassy Izzo, of Cranston RI, took second on the Floor with a 9.10, and took thirds on Bars, 8.30, Beam, 8.85 and All-Around with a 35.10. Candie Canning, new from Billerica, placed third on Floor with a 8.65 and fourths on Bars, Beam and All-Around, while Sarah Warden, of Sherborn, took third on Vault with a 9.05 and fourth on Beam and Floor.